This photograph is of Lois and Carey, who we found while looking for subjects for our project Proof of Existence. That series involved transforming models into surreal or exaggerated characters based on aspects of themselves, then photographing them in everyday settings. We got in contact with Lois after seeing her work on Instagram. When we went to her house and met her mother, Carey, we became very intrigued by the two of them, by their relationship and by the house itself.
The intention of that initial photo was to show how they express their Jewish identity in a non-traditional way. Lois and Carey are artists and their house is full of art. It was amazing to see how the things they’re interested in seem almost to spill out of their bodies and on to the walls, in the form of artwork, motifs and symbols. Their story is everywhere; it feels like the house itself is alive.
The way they express their Judaism was something we hadn’t encountered before. Lois is involved in performance art, and the fetish community, and her art deals with sexuality and queerness. In that first photo, she’s standing in the kitchen wearing a latex mask and bodysuit featuring the Star of David, while Carey sits drawing at the table behind her. It’s a striking example of one of the themes of the series – how heritage is passed on from one generation to another, being reinvented every time.
That photograph became the starting point for a new project, focusing entirely on Lois and Carey and their home. They welcomed us with open arms and it was very easy to work with them, so we just kept going. They gave us completely free rein, and two years after meeting them, we would still be finding new rooms, new walls, new knick-knacks. One of our favourite photographs is of Lois’s abandoned childhood bedroom, with its bright pink fireplace contrasting with the peeling walls.
The garden is as impressive as the house’s interior. Carey is obsessed with it and takes care of it daily. Another thing we like to explore in our work is contrast – ordinary acts with an aspect of absurdity or weirdness that provokes or intrigues the viewer and makes them wonder. The pose they are in here is obviously staged, but represents an emotional truth – the unique connection and coexistence of the two. The garden is an extension and symbol of the relationship, in a way. Carey is watering her plants, and Lois is just there in between them, almost as if she is one of them.
In some of the photographs, we also see Carey naked. The pair of them are very comfortable being nude around one another, completely relaxed and unguarded, but their closeness is mostly unspoken. They won’t say “I love you” or be very touchy, but they do demonstrate their closeness in other ways. For example, one of our photographs shows Lois tattooing her mother, which is a very intimate act. She does that all the time: it’s as if Carey acts as a canvas for her daughter’s art.
Certain themes, such as relationships, individualities and the home as an extension of identity, run through much of our work, which we do under the name Fotómetro. Our first joint long-term project, Us, was started in Tel Aviv and completed in London after we moved there in 2022. After collaborating a few years before, we’d realised we liked the work we did together more than our individual projects, and later we became a couple. Partly inspired by our own relationship, Us involved taking portraits of couples in their homes. People’s homes say so much about them.
Our association with Lois and Carey quickly became a friendship – sometimes, we would visit them without even taking the camera. Even since the series became a book, they continue to inspire us. We’re currently working on two films – one about Lois and one about Carey.
Fotómetro’s CV
Born: Israel, 1995
High points: Exhibiting at the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of the 2023 Taylor Wessing Photography prize (we will exhibit there again in November – Lois and Carey in the Garden has been chosen for this year’s Winston Taylor Photo Portrait prize). Presenting our solo exhibition, Proof of Existence, at Cicek Gallery, London, in 2025. Winning the Eve Arnold Photography prize in 2025 with our series Lois and Carey. Publishing two photobooks: Us with Snap Collective in 2022, and Lois & Carey with 89Books in 2026. Exhibiting at Photo London 2026 with Bright Gallery
Top tips: The most important work is the never-ending process of personal exploration and developing your own artistic voice. The photographs you choose to make and the stories you choose to tell should feel like a calling – something you genuinely need to explore and communicate. An artist should constantly ask themselves: what do I want to say? How do I want to say it? And, most importantly, why do I need to say it? This process of questioning, experimenting and discovering your own perspective is far more important than technique, equipment or following trends. Those things can be learned and acquired, but developing a voice that is truly your own takes time, curiosity and continuous exploration.
• Fotómetro’s Lois and Carey series will be exhibited at the Head On Photo festival in Sydney, Australia, in November. To see work by Lois Ward-Marvin and Carey Marvin, visit @lois.spookedd and @c.s.marvin
